Gears of War: E-Day – Everything we know about the upcoming shooter

Gears of War: E-Day is a new third-person shooter from The Coalition that's set to allow us to experience "the brutal horror of Emergence Day through the eyes of Marcus Fenix", in an "origin story" that's arriving later this year.

2026 is continuing the trend of being an exciting time for longtime fans to rediscover the Gears of War series, or step into it for the first time across all platforms (including PS5). In 2025, we got the release of Gears of War: Reloaded, which brought back the original Xbox 360 game from 2006. And although Gears of War: E-Day was announced all the way back in 2024 during an old Xbox Game Showcase, and also didn't make an appearance during the recent Xbox Developer Direct, we've since learned a ton about the new game, and recently even got some more clues on when to expect a Gears of War: E-Day release date.

On top of a slew of news to unpack, the title also marks the series's 20th anniversary, so the hype is very much alive and sky-high, folks. So, if you want to learn more about one of the biggest upcoming Xbox Series X games in the pipeline, read on below as we give you a detailed overview of Gears of War: E-Day.

Gears of War: E-Day release date speculation

There hasn't been a confirmed Gears of War: E-Day release date just yet, but we know it will be arriving sometime this year, in 2026.

While it was originally thought to land in 2025, The Coalition confirmed the prequel will be landing in 2026, with an Xbox Wire post recapping the Xbox Game Showcase 2025, which saw Phil Spencer close the show by highlighting Xbox's 25th anniversary "with the exciting proclamation that, in 2026, Xbox players will celebrate a quarter-century of Xbox with a new Fable, the next Forza", and, crucially, "Gears of War E-Day".

A recent report from The Verge suggests that the game will be coming out in the latter half of the year and will try to avoid the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 in November. The report also indicates that there is a time period in mind for Gears of War: E-Day already as well. So, we are keeping an eye out for any updates that we expect will be with us shortly. Stay tuned!

Gears of War: E-Day platforms

Gears of War: E-Day will be available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. The upcoming game will also be included on day one as part of Xbox Game Pass.

So it's a great time to revisit all the past games in the series now, so you don't have to worry about any catch-up when the title finally arrives (read our Gears of War review for more information on where to start).

Gears of War has always been an Xbox-exclusive title, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has stated that we may be seeing more Xbox exclusives launch on Switch and PlayStation thanks to a multiplatform strategy.

"I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say 'thou must not,'" Spencer told Bloomberg. So, fingers crossed that we are wrong and that Gears of War: E-Day eventually makes its way to PS5 and PS5 Pro gamers.

Plus, with Gears of War: Reloaded out on PS5 alongside Xbox Series X/S, and Fable 4 also confirmed to be heading to the PS5, it's not entirely outside of the realms of possibility that we might see E-Day one day come to the console in the future, if not at launch.

Is Gears of War: E-Day a prequel?

If you're wondering if Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel, yes, yes, it is. In fact, it's set 14 years before the original action game and will star younger versions of both Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, with both John DiMaggio and Carlos Ferro reprising the roles.

The story will take place during Emergence Day and see our heroes having to face the Locust Horde (a race of genetically altered humans). In case you need a lore refresher, Emergence Day is a full-scale and coordinated planet-wide assault on Sera. It took place only a few weeks after the Pendulum Wars ended (a devastating conflict that claimed millions of lives and left the environment of Sera in shambles). Basically, Sera was in a weak position, and Emergence Day was everyone's worst nightmare come to life.

E-Day also signaled the start of The Locust War in the Gears of War timeline. In terms of the Locust Horde, we got a brief description of them thanks to a post on Xbox Wire. The baddies of the upcoming story are labeled as "subterranean monsters" who are "grotesque and relentless" as they "erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself."

Gears of War: E-Day trailer

We got to see the first Gears of War: E-Day trailer during the Xbox Showcase 2024 presentation, and it was a weird, somber affair. In the clip above, we see a young Marcus Fenix struggle against a Locust Horde Drone and pretty much watch him get his butt handed to him until the very last second when he finally manages to blow the enemy's head into smithereens.

We also see Dom make an appearance and a brief glimpse at the fallen city of Kalona, showing us the horrific results of the Locust Horde's last assault. It's all very moody and thematic but also packed with some nostalgia as well. For example, the soundtrack used in the teaser is the Gary Jules version of Tears For Fears' 'Mad World'.

Now, if you remember the first Gears of War trailer, it also used Tears For Fears' ‘Mad World.' However, Gary Jules's version of the song is a lot slower in tempo, and the effect is that the trailer seems a lot bleaker as a result, but in a good way. I mean, war isn't meant to be sunshine and rainbows, right?

Gears of War: E-Day gameplay

While we haven't seen any gameplay footage just yet for Gears of War, we do know that the upcoming shooter will slightly differ from recent titles in the series. There is going to be a great emphasis on the horror aspect of the story, in some aspects taking us back to the roots of the series itself, as confirmed by creative director Matt Searcy during an interview with IGN.

"We looked back at what people felt like when they played Gears of War or any of the Gears - Gears 4 included," Searcy explained. "But when people tell you what they remember playing, the things that stood out to them, the feelings, a lot of it is about these, kind of dark, almost horror-esque, scary moments."

Now, of course, the series that defined a lot of third-person shooters made today will be (you guessed it) still a third-person shooter. However, a post on Xbox Wire has also said that "The Coalition is working to recreate and improve the series’ trademark third-person action", with new technology. You'll still be charging between cover in life-or-death situations during the game's campaign. However, we may see tweaks and innovations in how the team weaves storytelling into all the action.

"It's us revisiting the tone and the feeling of what makes Gears great, but we're tapping into new techniques, new processes, and new technology that’s going to make the gameplay feel better than ever. It’s going to be awesome, a game that feels both truly new, and authentically Gears," Searcy said.

The game is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, and we're still waiting on confirmation regarding multiplayer settings.

Can you pre-order Gears of War: E-Day?

Currently, you can't pre-order Gears of War: E-Day. However, you can already wishlist the game on Steam. The title is also coming to Game Pass, so at least there is that to look forward to.

We'll keep an eye out for any pre-order news, but in the meantime, you can look over our list of the best action games if you are looking to fill up your time while we wait for Gears of War updates. Or if you want to check out the latest Gears game, you can read our in-depth thoughts after playing Gears of War: Reloaded.

If you're after more titles, read our lists of the best Xbox exclusives and the best Xbox Series X games to play right now.